On the Market: In with the Old

Back Bay townhouses be damned. This quirky multilevel home, built into the central section of the 1807 Charles Street Meeting House, gets you up close and personal with Bostonâ€™s post-Revolution history. At surprising moments, the walls cut away to reveal massive framing hewn from virgin forests and pinned together by handforged bolts and brackets. Climb the winding iron staircase to the bell tower; marvel at the muscular wooden staircase that leads to the cupola, affording unparalleled 360-degree views of Boston and the Charles River; and admire the exposed-timber framing that graces the ceiling of the master bedroom, giving it a surprisingly Provincial feel. The 4,000-square-foot adaptive reuse was designed by an architect in the early â€™80s, and his sensitivity to the structureâ€™s 19th-century construction led to lovely details, including solid folding window shutters and arched doorways that mirror the barrel-vaulted ceilings. The building has rigorous preservation restrictions on the exterior, so you canâ€™t go crazy. But the truth is, all it really needs is a cosmetic facelift.